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Homebrew Carafe: turn Windows games into Switch apps

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Deskri

Deskri

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Carafe is a desktop app that takes a Windows game folder and builds a standalone NSP for a Switch running custom firmware. Each game gets its own icon on the HOME menu, and Carafe can install it over USB through DBI.

Inside every NSP is Autorun's runtime: Wine with Box64/FEX, DXVK and Mesa. The first release is out with installers for Windows.

GitHub: https://github.com/carafe-nx/carafe
 
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I saw someone post a build error here a while ago (the post is gone now). From a quick look, it seemed to come from hacBrewPack, the open-source tool Carafe uses to pack the NSP: https://github.com/rlaphoenix/hacBrewPack

My guess is that the antivirus blocked it. hacBrewPack is a small unsigned exe, and Windows Defender's heuristics sometimes stop tools like that mid-run. When that happens, the log just cuts off and the build fails with no clear reason.

hacBrewPack isn't the only thing Defender has flagged while I was working on Carafe:
- Wine DLLs from the runtime, e.g. d3dx9_28.dll and d3d11.dll, sent to quarantine;
- my own unsigned test build of the packer.

You don't have to take my word for it, everything is open source:
- Carafe: https://github.com/carafe-nx/carafe
- hacBrewPack: https://github.com/rlaphoenix/hacBrewPack
- Autorun (the Wine runtime): https://github.com/autorunhq/autorun

What to add to the exclusions (Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → Exclusions → Add an exclusion → Folder):

1. The folder where Carafe is installed, by default C:\Program Files\Carafe. It should contain:
- carafe-desktop.exe (the app)
- hacbrewpack.exe (the packer)
- carafe-runtime.bin (the runtime, about 210 MB)

2. Your library folder, where games and builds are kept (Settings → Library folder). Carafe unpacks the runtime into the hidden .carafe folder inside it while building.

If one of those three files is missing, check Protection history and restore it, or reinstall Carafe. Then build again. If it still fails, post the build log here.
 
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Tested two games:
Touhou 8 runs flawlessly, but in a small window
SMT Syncronicity Prologue (same engine as Touhou Luna Nights), didn't work with stock settings, has launcher.

Main downsides are: 1. Your game is guaranteed to grow in size at least to 1.1gb, because thats the files for Wine container, even a 100mb game will have 1.1Gb size in the end. 2. You have to rebuild game (encrypting and packing takes a lot of time) and redownload it onto the console to make any changes

Otherwise great tool!
 
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I wonder how long before the backend of a bank, or an insurance company, or a hospital will be reverese engineered and the whole system will be taken down. We are probably not that far away from that and the the cat is out of the bag already.
 
Sadly Sonic 3D in 2D crashes after setting up the controls and after the Sonic Worlds logo. Tried all the settings
 
I've installed prod.keys, but when I start the build, it progresses about 70%, but then I get this error:

Loading 'D:\Carafe\prod.keys' keyset file
Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!
packing error: hacBrewPack exit code: 1: Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!

Does anyone know how to fix this?
Post automatically merged:

I installed my prod.keys, but when I build, it progresses about 70%, but then gives this error:

Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!
packing error: hacBrewPack exit code: 1: Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!

Does anyone know how to fix this? thx
 
Chr0x said:
I've installed prod.keys, but when I start the build, it progresses about 70%, but then I get this error:

Loading 'D:\Carafe\prod.keys' keyset file
Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!
packing error: hacBrewPack exit code: 1: Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!

Does anyone know how to fix this?
Post automatically merged:

I installed my prod.keys, but when I build, it progresses about 70%, but then gives this error:

Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!
packing error: hacBrewPack exit code: 1: Key (…) must be 32 hex digits!

Does anyone know how to fix this? thx
Click to expand...
Looks like something is wrong with the file itself. Try dumping it again with Lockpick_RCM and replace the old one without opening it in an editor.
Post automatically merged:

fagirton2015 said:
Tested two games:
Touhou 8 runs flawlessly, but in a small window
SMT Syncronicity Prologue (same engine as Touhou Luna Nights), didn't work with stock settings, has launcher.

Main downsides are: 1. Your game is guaranteed to grow in size at least to 1.1gb, because thats the files for Wine container, even a 100mb game will have 1.1Gb size in the end. 2. You have to rebuild game (encrypting and packing takes a lot of time) and redownload it onto the console to make any changes

Otherwise great tool!
Click to expand...
Thanks for testing and for the detailed feedback! Both points are fair. I'll think about whether to trim the runtime or let you change settings on the console without rebuilding.
 

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